Ponant Cruises
Le Ponant
- Cruises
- 24
- From
- $8,000
Ship comparison
Le Ponant vs Viking Ra
Viking River Cruises
Viking Ra
- Cruises
- 2
- From
- $7,499
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Le Ponant is an intimate Ponant Cruises ship carrying 64 passengers, in service since 1991. Viking Ra is an intimate Viking River Cruises ship carrying 52 passengers, in service since 2018.
Choose Le Ponant if you want better-rated staterooms, a more romantic trip or better-rated dining: it outscores Viking Ra for staterooms (7.5 vs 5.0), romantic (10.0 vs 8.0) and dining (9.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Choose Viking Ra if you want more space per passenger, a newer ship or more crew per passenger: it has 38.5 gross tons per passenger (vs 23.3), its maiden voyage was in 2018 (vs 1991) and it has a crew member for every 1.4 passengers (vs 2.1).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Le Ponant | Viking Ra | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Ponant Cruises | Viking River Cruises |
| Ship size | Intimate | Intimate |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 1991 | 2018 (better) |
| Gross tonnage | 1,489 | 2,000 |
| Passengers | 64 | 52 |
| Crew | 30 | 38 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.1 | 1.4 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 23.3 | 38.5 (better) |
| Decks | 4 | 5 |
| Length | 291 ft | 413 ft |
| Beam | 39 ft | 92 ft |
| Speed | 12 mph | — |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 24 | 2 |
| Upcoming sailings | 85 | 56 |
| Cruise lengths | 6–7 nights | 11 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $8,000 | $7,499 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Le Ponant leads on 4 of the ten, Viking Ra on 1, with 5 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Ponant Cruises
Le Ponant
Le Ponant, a three-masted schooner from France-based cruise line Ponant, sails to small islands, hidden harbors and exclusive ports of call in the Mediterranean with only 64 guests aboard. She is stylish, friendly and relaxed.
Highlights
- Able to cruise to small, exclusive ports in the Mediterranean
- Outdoor dining for breakfast and lunch
- All staterooms have views of the ocean
Sailing now
24 cruises on sale, from $8,000.
Viking River Cruises
Viking Ra
Serenity and adventure combine in a cruise down the storied Nile River aboard Viking Ra, the river ship that debuted in 2018 from Viking River Cruises. Viking Ra (named after the ancient Egyptian Sun god Ra) can glide by thousand-year-old temples, villages and stunning landscapes in the course of an afternoon.
Sailing now
2 cruises on sale, from $7,499.
Questions
Le Ponant or Viking Ra?
Which is bigger, Le Ponant or Viking Ra?
Viking Ra is bigger at 2,000 gross tons, against 1,489 gross tons for Le Ponant. Le Ponant carries 64 passengers and Viking Ra carries 52.
Which ship is newer, Le Ponant or Viking Ra?
Viking Ra is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2018 against 1991 for Le Ponant.
Which has more space per passenger?
Viking Ra, with 38.5 gross tons per passenger against 23.3 on Le Ponant. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Viking Ra, with one crew member for every 1.4 passengers against one for every 2.1 on Le Ponant.
Which is better for families?
They score the same for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 5.0 out of 10.
Still deciding?
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